Life net



Feb 1947' "G. BAUERLEIN, SR

LIFE NET Filed Dec. 28, 1945 Patented Feb. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE LIFE NET George Bauerlein, Sn, Talladega, Ala. ApplicationDecember 28, 1945, Serial No. 637,584

Claims. 1

This invention relates to life saving, and more particularly'to escapeapparatus in the form of a net and a method of supporting the same sothat a person or an object descending through the air with substantialvelocity may be caught in the net and the shock of landing cushionedsufiiciently to prevent serious injury or damage thereto.

Fire fighting nets have been used for catching persons and objects byfiremen or other individuals. Heretofore this has required the attentionof several persons as it was necessary to hold the net in a particularmanner and still there has not been any definite assurance that the netwould be properly held.

It is an object of the invention to provide a net and supporting meanstherefor, which need not be attended when in operative position, whichmay be easily set up by one or more persons and left unattended and willserve to safely receive persons or objects descending through the airfrom a substantial height without damage or injury. The inventionactually is a life net.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating one application of theinvention, and

Fig. 2 is a side view illustrating one of the supporting standards andassociating parts.

Referring to the drawing, fire trucks Ill and I I are provided with rearsteps or platforms I2 and I3. Standards M are mounted on the steps, oneadjacent each end of each step, and each standard is provided with abase l5 having a relatively broad flange l6 and an upstanding sleeve I1disposed at right angles to the flange.

The flange I1 is adapted to be secured by bolts or other fasteningelements Hi to the floor or step l2 and form an anchor or support bymeans of which the device is secured on the step of the vehicle. Thesteps or platforms I2 and I3 have apertures corresponding to the boresof the sleeve I! so that the standards M may project slightly below thesteps or, if desired, may project below the steps sufilciently to engagethe surface on which the trucks are supported.

In order to provide vertical adjustment of the standards I 4, thesestandards are provided with openings I 9 for the reception of a pin 20anchored to the base l5 by means of a chain 2|.

Each standard l4 may be braced to the truck by means of a bracket 22each having one end 2 fastened to the truck and its other end fastenedto the standard l4. Either end of the brace may be detachablyconstructed for the necessary adjustment.

The standards 14 are provided with receiving arms 23 having on theirfree extremities outwardly bent portion 24 for guiding net pole 25 intothe space between the arm or bracket 23 and to the standard I4.

Each net pole 25 is attached to the end of a net 21 and said pole isadapted to be supported by a pair of standards above each step orplatform and substantially parallel thereto.

The inner portions of arms 23 are substantially parallel to thestandards M and the net poles 25 are provided with square portions sothat when they are received between the arms and the standards they willnot rotate. In this way by rolling the net pole, the tension of the netmay be varied.

In applying the invention to fire trucks the base of each standard issecured to the steps or platform at the rear of the truck and a standardis applied to each base. The trucks are maneuvered until their rear endsare spaced the desired distance, and the net poles are placed on therear sides of the standard between the arms 23 and the standards l4, oneor both of the net poles may be rotated until the net is at the desiredtension. This tension may also be ac complished by placing the net polesin operative position and driving one or both of the vehicles away fromthe other until the net is at the desired tension. When thus installedthe net will serve to cushion the descending persons or objects.Attendants are not, therefore, required for holding the net but are freeto do fire fighting while people are being saved from a burningbuilding.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes maybe made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshown in the drawing and described in the specification but only asindicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Fire fighting apparatus comprising in combination standardsconstructed to be supported on the rear steps of fire apparatus, onestandard at each end of each step, a safety net constructed to besupported by said standards, a supporting base for said standardsincluding sleeve means for vertically adjustably supporting saidstandards, an arm on the rear of each standard having a portion spacedfrom said standard, a net pole attached to each end of said net, atleast'one of said poles having a non-circular portion to fit between oneof said arms and its supporting standard and be held against rotationwhereby such net pole may be removed from its operative position androtated and the net wound around the pole for varying the length of thenet.

2. A safety net for use with fire fighting apparatus, a net pole securedto each end of said net, a pair of standards for disposition in spacedrelation for supporting each net pole, an arm on each standard forholding the net pole against the standard, means for supporting saidpair of standards in spaced relation on spaced vehicles in a manner tostretch said net, and means whereby said net pole is held againstrotation.

3. A safety net for use with fire fighting apparatus, a net pole securedto each end of said net, a pair of standards for disposition in spacedrelation for supporting each net pole, an arm on each standard forholding the net pole against the standard, and means for supporting saidpair of standards in spaced relation on spaced vehicles in a manner tostretch said net.

4-. In combination with fire fighting apparatus a safety net, asupporting pole for each end of said net, means for supporting said netin operative position comprising a pair of spaced supports for each ofsaid poles, each pair of supports being constructed to be carried by aseparate vehicle and the vehicles being operable for varying the tensionon the-net.

5. Fire fighting apparatus comprising in combination spaced standardsconstructed to be supported on the rear portion of fire apparatus, asafety net constructed to be supported by said standards, a'supportingbase for said standards including means for vertically adjustablysupporting said standards, a support on the rear of one of said standardhaving a portion spaced from said standards, a. net pole attached to theend of said net, and having a non-circular portion to fit between saidsupport and said standard and be held against rotation whereby such netpole may be removed from its operative position and rotated and the netwound around the pole for varying the length of the net.

GEORGE BAUERLEIN, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,099,352 Foldi June 9, 1914866,935 Kerekes et a1 Sept. 24, 1907 480,139 Ryan Aug. 2, 1892 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 23,959 British Nov. 3, 1902

